Dispensing apparatuses for dispensing various foods and beverages are well known. The prior art dispensing devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,461,328, 4,512,377, 4,256,153, 4,184,523, 3,270,784, 2,857,082, 2,820,490 and 1,488,603. One of the primary problems associated with the dispensing of gelatin-based foods and beverages is the uneven distribution of the gelatin-based solution. In the prior art devices, the pressure differential varies at each dispensing area, thus resulting in disproportional amounts of material being dispensed at the dispensing areas. In these devices, the dispensing areas nearest to the inlet of the dispensing manifold tend to dispense more material than the dispensing areas farther removed from the inlet. The pressure differentials successively decrease in the direction opposite from the inlet. This is especially true where the material being dispensed is a gelatin-based solution lacking the flow characteristics of non-gelatin-based solutions and having a greater viscosity than non-gelatin-based solutions.
Preparing and dispensing consistent serving proportions is a favored means of marketing and serving food and beverage products. Most food and beverage products are sold according to weight or volume measurements. Therefore, the ability to repetitously produce precisely measured serving portions of gelatin-based solutions in an efficient and timely manner is of significant importance. In the absence of uniform and consistent serving proportions, the consumer may not obtain the value that was desired. The ability to repetitiously, timely and efficiently dispense gelatin-based foods and beverages is problem not addressed in the prior art. Simplicity of design and the level of skill needed to operate the dispenser is another concern which impacts the dispensing of gelatin-based foods and beverages. If a dispenser is troublesome to operate or requires a great deal of maintenance to remain functional, the effeciency of the operation may be adversely affected.
The known prior art dispensing devices do not evenly dispense equivalent amounts of gelatin-based solutions for producing foods and beverages. Furthermore, the known prior art dispensing devices do not evenly dispense gelatin-based foods and beverages in a repetitious and efficient manner. Additionally, the known prior art dispensing devices require a substantially greater amount of time for cleaning than does the present invention.
Presently, gelatin-based solutions for making foods and beverages are mixed by hand, dispensed by hand and packaged by hand. As the demand for gelatin-based foods and beverages increases, restaurants, bars, schools, hospitals, cafeterias and kitchens of various types, will devote more labor into producing gelatin-based foods and beverages.
The contemporary production of gelatin-based foods and beverages is labor intensive, requiring perhaps numerous personnel to cook and mix the gelatin-based solution, dispense the cooked gelatin-based solution into containers which are then chilled or refrigerated, package and serve the gelatin-based product for consumption by the consumer. Clean-up of the equipment used to produce and package gelatin-based foods and beverages is also time consuming and messy.
Since dispensing apparatuses are a favored means in which to dispense various foods and beverages, it is apparent that there is a need for an apparatus and method for dispensing gelatin-based solutions from an improved dispensing manifold which maintains a constant pressure differential at each dispensing area along the dispensing manifold to repetitiously, dispense gelatin-based solutions in a timely and effecient manner for producing gelatin-based foods and beverages in equivalent proportions. The present invention is constructed of a simple design, requiring little or no maintenance and can be operated with little mechanical skill. Further, the present invention provides for a timely and relatively easy clean-up. When the dispensing operations have been terminated, hot water may be pumped through the apparatus, thus removing the gelatin-based solution from the apparatus. By way of summary, the available art generally fails to meet the needs for repetitiously dispensing equivalent proportions of gelatin-based solutions in a timely and effecient manner.